BOARD CERTIFIED IN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY
Mobile Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Replacement
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Oxford Partial Knee Replacement
In some patients with knee osteoarthritis, only a singular part of the knee is affected. The medial (inner) portion of the knee is usually affected, and in some rare circumstances, the lateral section of the knee can be as well.
The difference of a partial vs. total knee replacement lies in the fact that a partial knee replacement replaces only the affected section of the knee. A total knee replacement involves the replacement of all three sections of the knee. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments are preserved in a partial knee replacement, but are removed during a total knee replacement.
Proven longterm success
The concept in partial joint replacement surgery is to replace only the worn-out portion of the arthritic joint and save as much of the natural knee structure and motion as possible.
A large number of people with osteoarthritis of the knee have worn out only one of the three compartments in the knee. If this is the case, the individual may only require a partial replacement. The Oxford® Knee Replacement is the first implant that can accomplish this task with proven long term success of good or excellent results of 95% at 15 years and 90% at 20 years. For this reason, the Oxford® makes a whole or total knee joint replacement UNNECESSARY in many cases. The Oxford procedure is so successful that as of 2013 the manufacturer of Oxford, the Biomet Corporation, is now giving a lifetime warranty on the implant.
X-Ray Showing Oxford Knee Replacement
The x-ray in the middle photograph represents bone on bone osteoarthritis. This occurs due to degeneration or “wear and tear” of the articular cartilage, and degeneration or surgical removal of the meniscus. Once this situation develops, the individual usually has severe pain. An Oxford partial knee replacement is perfect for this situation.
The x-ray photograph on the right below demonstrates the appearance after an Oxford has been placed. One can see that the bone-on-bone rubbing condition has been replaced by the Oxford with its meniscus replacement bearing (the white horizontal line between the metal).The model in the left photograph portrays how the implant actually sits between the bones and cruciate ligaments (white ropes in the middle of the knee) and the medial collateral ligament (white rope on the right side of the knee). A total knee replacement is not necessary for this situation.
- Oxford knee sitting between the bones and cruciate ligaments
- Bone-on-bone osteoarthritis
- Oxford system in place
Unicompartmental Knee
The Oxford® Unicompartmental Knee Replacement System offers these advantages:
- At 15 years following surgery, 95% of implants are still functioning well.
- More normal motion of the human knee
- Only a portion of the knee is replaced, making this procedure available to a younger population
- Minimally invasive – a small incision is utilized
- Less pain due to a smaller operation
- Outpatient, or one to two nights in the hospital
- Quicker recovery – discontinue crutches as fast as one desires
- Covered by Insurance and Medicare
The Oxford® Unicompartmental Knee System
The Oxford® Unicompartmental Knee System:
No other partial knee replacement has the proven success rate and longevity of Oxford partial knee replacement. Until Oxford knee replacement came along, most orthopedists in the United States did not do partial knee replacement because of the high failure rate of earlier implants.
Many orthopedists today still do not recommend partial knee replacement for their patients because they are not familiar with Oxford or qualified to do it. If your orthopedist tells you “partial knee replacement does not work”, you need to get another opinion.
If your orthopedist tells you a different brand of partial knee replacement has the same success rate of Oxford, ask him to show you the scientific paper or data supporting his opinion. It is crucial to understand the best options for yourself when it comes to a partial knee replacement and ensure that you have all of the most accurate facts available.
More Normal Motion with Oxford Knee Implant
The Oxford® Unicompartmental Partial Knee Replacement prosthesis allows for a better range of motion of the knee by virtue of replication of the function of the menisci and allows for more normal motion of the human knee. With the Oxford partial knee replacement, only a portion of the knee is replaced.
In performing an Oxford, the anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments are always preserved. In performing a total knee replacement, the anterior cruciate ligament is always removed; sometimes the posterior cruciate ligament is removed as well.
In some cases, this prosthesis may be applicable to individuals who were previously considered too young to undergo a total knee replacement.
The Oxford knee implant utilizes a minimally invasive procedure in which patients may experience less pain and a quicker recovery time than experienced with a total knee replacement.
